Casualty and Doctor Who enter World Records book

Casualty and Doctor Who have entered the new Guinness World Records 2011 book as the longest-running primetime medical drama and sci-fi TV series.

The BBC’s Casualty has been recognised as both the longest-primetime medical drama as well as the longest running emergency medical drama in TV history.

With over 700 episodes of Casualty broadcast since it began in 1986, it has far surpassed other medical dramas around the world including US favourites ER, Grey’s Anatomy and House.

Belinda Cambell, exeutive producer for Casualty, said: “It is an absolute thrill to be able to call Casualty the world’s longest running primetime hospital drama. It’s a great testament to the hard work and expertise of the casts and crews over the years that Casualty is now in its 25th year and still in fantastically good health”.

Meanwhile, another of the nation’s favourite shows, Doctor Who, is making records of its own.

The show is the world’s longest running sci-fi programme after chalking up 769 episodes, including 212 storylines and a full-length TV movie, since it first aired in 1963.

Current Doctor Who star Matt Smith also enters the record books this year for becoming the youngest Doctor in the shows history.

Also making its first appearance in the Guinness World Records book is the popular US muscial-comedy series Glee for having the most simultaneous hits on the UK singles charts.

The cast of the television series made their UK chart debut with five tracks entering the UK top 75 on January 2010 breaking the forces sweetheart Dame Vera Lunn’s record for three simultaneous hits in 1952.